February 2011
Cognitive
Assessments
An Easy Read leaflet for People
with Learning Disabilities
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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February 2011
Cognitive Assessments
What is a cognitive assessment?
A cognitive
assessment looks at:
What you are good at
and
what you find difficult.
A cognitive
assessment measures
types of thinking.
Types of thinking
include:
Memory
Problem solving
Attention
Planning & organising
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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February 2011
What happens in a cognitive assessment?
You will complete the cognitive assessment
with a psychologist.
The psychologist might be a man or a
woman. They might be young or old.
?
The psychologist will
ask you some
questions.
The psychologist will
ask you to do some
games and puzzles.
Meeting 1
1
The first meeting will
be for about an hour.
2 or 3
+
There may need to be
two or three
meetings.
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February 2011
What happens in a cognitive assessment?
Most assessments
start off easy and get
harder.
Everyone finds them
difficult at the end.
If you get tired in the
assessment you can
ask for a short break.
If you want to stop
the assessment you
can say “Stop”.
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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February 2011
What to bring to the assessment:
Glasses



Hearing aid with
battery
You can choose to
have a family
member or a member
of staff come in with
you.
They can watch the
assessment.
They will not help you
with any answers.
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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February 2011
The psychologist may
need to have
someone come in
with you. They will
make sure you are
both safe.
After the assessment,
the psychologist will
write a report about
the results.
You can meet again
to talk about the
report.
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February 2011
The report will be
sent to the person
who asked the
psychologist to see
you.
You can ask to have a
copy of the report
with pictures.

You can ask for the
report to be sent to
your family or people
who support you.
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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